Lords Sitting of 11 April 1861

MINUTES.
1a Consolidated Fund 3a Queensland. (£3,000,000) Government.

PRIVATE BILLS.—RESOLUTIONS.
On the Motion of Lord it was
Resolved,—
"That no Private Bill brought from the House of Commons shall be read a Second Time after Tuesday, the 9th Day of July next:
"That no Bill confirming any Provisional Order of the Board of Health, or authorizing any Inclosure of Lands under Special Report of the In-closure Commissioners for England and Wales, or for confirming any Scheme of the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales, shall be read a Second Time after Tuesday, the 9th Day of July next:
"That when a Bill shall have passed this House with Amendments these Orders shall not apply to any new Bill sent up from the House of Commons which the Chairman of Committees shall report to the House is substantially the same as the Bill so amended."
LORD REDESDALEsaid, the House having agreed to these Resolutions respecting private Bills he wished to state that he would not give notice of any Resolution regarding public Bills similar to that he usually proposed at that period of the Session. He had come to this conclusion, not because he had changed his opinion on the
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subject, but because he thought it better to see what recommendations would be made by the Committees of both Houses, now sitting on Public Business. The Resolution come to in former Sessions on this subject had been disapproved by several Members of that House; hut he could show a precedent for it in the proceedings of their Lordships' House. As far back as 1668 there was a Standing Order made, on the occasion of a Bill coming up from the Commons at a late period of the Session with a great many clauses, that
"There be no such argument hereafter used in this House of shortness of time for the passing of Bills to precipitate the passing thereof: but that due consideration be had hereafter."
There was thus a Standing Order 200 years old on the subject. He believed that the principle of fixing a time for second readings was substantially a sound one, and that the business of their Lordships' House could not be got through properly unless they knew, at a reasonable period before the prorogation, what were the measures that were to come under consideration. It was urged, as an objection to it, that at the time the Resolution was moved it was not known when the Session would terminate; but, the fact was, that the Session did always terminate at a particular period, and the business could not be got through by that time if the Bills were not before their Lordships prior to a certain date. He wished the other House of Parliament would adopt a similar rule. Practically it did so, because some weeks before the probable close of the Session the Minister was asked what Bills he intended to proceed with, and a statement was usually made that such and such Bills would be proceeded with and that others would be dropped. His opinion was that the course of fixing a certain day after which no second readings should be taken would be preferable to that.
EARL GRANVILLEthought, that the noble Lord the Chairman of Committees had exercised a wise discretion in confining his Motion to private Bills, and in not moving his customary Resolution in regard to private Bills, while the matter was under consideration of two Committees. As he had done so, it was not necessary for him to enter into a discussion of the principle as applied to public measures; and he had not offered any opposition to the Motion of the noble Lord.
House adjourned at a quarter past Five o'clock, till To-morrow, a quarter before Five o'clock.